On the scale of pig ugly to stunning, the Peugeot RCZ sports coupé definitely exists more in the realm of the latter. No surprise, then, that it’s just bagged the prestigeous “red dot: best of the best 2010” award for outstanding design quality in the automotive category.
These awards have been going since 1955 and cover a range of categories, with blue chip companies such as Apple, Nokia, LG Electronics, Pininfarina and Adidas having picked up gongs in the past. Each year thousands of entries are submitted.
This award comes hot on the heels of winning The Most Beautiful Car of the Year 2009 award at the 25th International Automobile Festival which took place in Paris earlier this year. The RCZ was selected for that award after more than 100,000 people in 62 countries cast their votes.
If you look closely, you’ll see that the RCZ is the first Peugeot to sport a new ‘Lion’ badge. Not exactly a major point, but this change is being heralded by the 200-year-old company (no, they haven’t always made cars) as the start of a new era, an era where Peugeot are promising a raft of new style lines and a new visual identity.
If the RCZ is anything to go by, this could actually be more than just the usual PR guff. A double bubble roof and aluminium roof arches mean that the new coupé definitely stands out in a good way from what else is out there.
Enthusiam
This award-winner has already aroused a decent amount of public enthusiasm: when it was presented at the last Frankfurt Motor Show, 200 units of the RCZ Limited Edition were all snapped up within 48 hours.
The passenger compartment of the RCZ has been designed to immerse the driver in an ambience that wouldn’t be out of place in the world of motor sport. Wrap-around seats with integral head restraints fit snugly around the front occupants, and all controls have been ergonomically designed and positioned.
At launch in Ireland this summer, one of two engines will fill the space under the aluminium bonnet: a 1.6 litre 200bhp petrol engine matched to a six-speed manual gearbox (category D road tax of €447) or a 2.0 litre HDi diesel 163bhp six speed manual (category B road tax of €156).
Peugeot are promising that both engines will have high torque and power outputs, while at the same time boasting low fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Both will meet the new strict Euro 5 emission standards.
Prices and exact equipment specs will be announced closer to the launch, an event that we in the JOE office are looking forward to.
